Located in a Grade B-listed bank that marks a prominent corner in Glasgow, we completed Shilling Brewing Co. in 2016. The 150-seat brew house is set inside the former Commercial Bank of Scotland, and the 1920s building is infused with subtle art deco and Egyptian revival references. Our design strips back the interior to reveal a beautifully proportioned banking hall with 20ft-high coffered ceilings. Respecting the space’s history, our restrained intervention allows more natural light to enter the original full-height windows. Fragments of the past have been uncovered and cleaned, including fluted marble columns, designed to create a picture frame for moving projected images that are curated to change with the seasons.

The newly liberated banking hall has become the beer hall, with a long bar behind which the copper vessels of the brewery sit on an elevated gantry, creating a distinctive backdrop. Visitors are met with a mural of a unicorn boldly applied to the panelling by local artist Gaz Mackay.

A vast inset star embossed into the concrete floor signs the way to the bar, while a timber stage area, seared with the brand of Shilling is framed by theatre curtains, and can serve as a semi-private zone. In the basement, original steel vault doors lead to black and white tiled bathrooms and a private space with a picture window through to the cellar. The design responds to the client’s simple brief to create the best brew house in Glasgow. The team worked carefully to reveal the original interiors and have overlaid contemporary features that resonate with the building’s rich history.

The practice was responsible for the graphics and visual identity, which references the traditional swirling ‘guilloche’ patterns on banknotes and included a purpose-made typeface called Brew Type.